Postscript:
Within the framework of halacha, a man whose ex-wife is an aguna can still marry a second wife. So halachically, this man is Jewisly married to two women but to only one in a civil way.

So to answer your question, "is it lawful" to have two wives Jewishly. Many men are in just that situation and no one calls them criminals for having two women. They are criminals for a completely different reason.

Come to think of it, I don't know of any halacha that prohibits your aguna to move back in with you and your new wife, provided the aguna hadn't been with other men. After all she is still your wife. I may be wrong, please correct me...someone!

Ah, MosheYisraeli, you are a soul mate (in an intellectual only sort of way, since I am not quite that polymorphous perverse) and a scholar without a box around his mind.

Too often we all lose sight of what in G-ds name we are doing all of this study and contemplation for. By me, and let me say from the outset I am not a religious Jew but rather one with who was raised by Survivors with a deep deep appreciation for the traditions and ethics and depth of philosophical thought of our shared Jewishness. But, by me, it is not at all clear that G-d is a Jew or that the Divine prefers one set of symbols over another, or that the One fancies itself ANYTHING LIKE what we in our infinite small mindedness and limited embodiment of the Real imagine.

That said, it seems to me that Caesar is responsible for cival law, and the US govt has made it clear over the last 100 years that it simply does not care what the Mormons do, as long as they do not do it too loudly. And whither goith the Mormons, so goith the laws on polyamorous relationships of any kind, at least as between men and women. They have even sorted out marriage/sexual relations with underage girls. The youngest is married (as young as 11 which is permissible with the permission of the parents of the girl in some states) and the aging 16 year old previous legal wife graduates to "contractual" wife status. And if that very creative bullsh~t is not a violation of civil law, what can we possibly think up that would not be within bounds?

Whether it is a good idea, who knows. Monogamy clearly works for some and not for others. For the matter, heterosexuality works for some and not for others. Who am I to say to anyone, and for that matter, who is anyone (George Walker Bush, are you listenining) to tell anyone who to sleep with, who to love or how to live?

Now that it seems is worth a discussion all on its own, but then again, I see lemonade when others are seeing lemons. <man smiling>

I thank you all for your kind indulgance of my ignorance and my lack of humility in putting forward my ideas.

One request, much of the language you use assumes that the reader knows yiddish and Jewish law's technical terms. I do not and would appreciate the english translations of yiddish and hebrew words you use in your posts.


/s/ Mark Baraz

MosheYisraeli, if you ever decide to visit NY from Galut, please do get in touch. We can share a cup tea in a glass.

Mark

PS and yes, I know that Galut is not a location as such, so where are you actually?

PPS I posted a question to begin another thread, also here on this site. It is on the relationship between employers and employees. I would be curious as to your take on it. Thanks

Mark;
Thanks for your kind words. I'm by no means an expert in any of these issues. I am hoping those more knowledgeable will catch me where I'm wrong. I think the underlying force to what I'm saying is that Torah already has solutions to many issues we have today about marriage, sexuality etc. We embraced a Roman sensibility that has forced us into a box that has created dilemmas for us when there already exist solutions in our own halacha.

Hey Mark,
I'd be delighted to visit with you. I may be passing through NY on my way to Halifax on business in the near future. We'll talk. Shalom!

You will not find any poskim or Rosh HaYeshivot today which would allow a a second wife or allow for premarital sex. Being a lesbian is also forbidden.

I heard a story of a big Rosh Yeshiva who had a talmud who lived with a single women. The Rosh Yeshiva kicked the student out of the Yeshiva because he heard that the girl went to the mikva before the act. The Rosh Yeshiva said that he would have kept the boy if he just couldnt control himself but to try and kosher averot(sins) is crooked.

I have decided to close this post because I feel it is off base. We need to serve HaShem with the purity of our hearts not look for ways to twist the law to our desires.